SELECT > Royal York Top TP Rookie Ball Selects 6-4 in EBA Rookie Ball Select Championship Semi-Final Game

THE CARDINALS TAKE DOWN TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS IN A SEMI-FINAL SHOWDOWN AT NEILSON PARK

Tournament Game Post composed with file from Vincent Lynch. Sidebar Photo courtesy of Cynthia Chan.

Beneath a canopy of warm and breezy skies, the Royal York Cardinals defeated our Toronto Playgrounds Rookie Ball Selects 6-4 this afternoon in a 6 ½ inning Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Rookie Ball Select Championship semi-final game at Neilson Park.

The TP Rookie Ball Selects warm up at Neilson Park prior to their EBA Semi-Final Game versus Royal York. [Photo courtesy of Cynthia Chan]

• In a superbly played defensive gem, TP lost a heartbreaker to Royal York.
• The Cardinals scored a run in the bottom of the first and another in the second to take an early 2-0 lead.
• TP answered with a pair in the top of the third to deadlock the proceeding 2-2.
• With both teams playing solid defense, neither side could score any runs until the bottom of the sixth frame when Royal York plated four to take a 6-2 lead.
• TP valiantly rallied for two in the top of the seventh to trim the shortfall to two. However, it wasn’t enough as the Cardinals prevailed 6-4.

With the loss, the TP Rookie Ball Selects playoff journey at the tourney came to an end.

Each team participating in this season’s EBA Rookie Ball Select Championship Tournament is working under the double knockout formula, whereby a team is eliminated from the tourney once they have lost two playoff elimination games.

TP’s began the playoff tournament on Saturday with a thrilling 13-12 come from behind seven inning victory over the Bloordale Bombers yesterday morning.

In a late Saturday afternoon game, TP earned its second playoff victory with a dominating 19-4 six inning win over the Annette A’s. With the two wins, TP punched a ticket into Sunday’s semi-final playoff round.

Early this morning, TP suffered its first loss at the tourney when the Royal York defeated them 7-1 [10-1, according to the EBA scoreboard] in a seven inning affair at Neilson Park. The Cardinals played an awesome defensive game to stymie the potent TP offensive machine.

With their postseason dreams in the balance, both TP and Royal York had to play each other again this afternoon in a semi-final game for the privilege of advancing to a championship final showdown versus Bloordale. In the end, the Cards prevailed 6-4 to knock TP out of playoff contention.

In a postgame media interview, TP Rookie Ball Select Co-Head Coach Jason Koskela was reflective upon his team’s success during the 2016 season: “The Coaches are extremely proud of this competitive, energized and positive team. We can hold our heads high for this outstanding season.” 

The TP Rookie Ball Selects had a fun and successful season of baseball where they finished the 2016 EBA Select Loop campaign with a stellar 8-1-2 regular season record.

In addition, the TP Rookie Ball Selects were the champions of the West Hill Tournament back in June and the runners up in the Lloyd McConnie Tournament back in July.

The TP Baseball Committee wishes to thank Rookie Ball Select Co-Head Coaches John Gordon and Jason Koskela; Assistant Coaches David Badham, Rich Terfry and Vincent Lynch for their fortitude and patience in steering these talented Rookie Ball Selects through the highs and lows of a fun and productive 2016 season.

The Committee also wishes to commend all the Rookie Ball Select players, coaches and parents for representing the core values of the Toronto Playgrounds Baseball program with honour, dignity and professionalism on and off the diamond at the tournament and throughout the long season.

WAY TO GO, TP!